


The One Who Breathes Life in this Heart of Mine

by mcgarrygirl78



Category: The West Wing
Genre: F/M, Romance
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-05-14
Updated: 2016-05-14
Packaged: 2018-06-08 08:23:15
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,445
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/6846856
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/mcgarrygirl78/pseuds/mcgarrygirl78
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>When I watch her dance like this though trips to GW emergency room are truly the last thing on my mind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	The One Who Breathes Life in this Heart of Mine

I open my eyes and know its nowhere near morning. Its just one of those things you know. There is no need for a clock…your body can tell you. The rain still falls in sheets outside her bedroom window as it did when I fell asleep about 90 minutes ago. I know what rain does to her; she is in no danger of waking up. Especially with half a bottle of champagne still coursing through her bloodstream. She left the White House early tonight and I promised that I would come to her apartment when I was done. We are planning our wedding; finally have a date. December 20, 2002…just a few days before my 48th birthday. The story of how we came up with the date is really cute. Nora asked me what I wanted for my birthday this year. Wait, did I just say really cute?

“ _Hey Toby?”_

_“Yeah?”_

_“Are you asleep?”_

_“Nope.”_

_I turn over in bed and look at her. We are at my place tonight. There is a heatwave in mid-August and her A/C is on the fritz. It wasn’t that I didn’t like having her there, I did. I was still getting used to the idea of sharing space again. This condo had been my sanctuary since Andi and I split up in the summer of 1998._

_“What do you want for your birthday?”_

_‘Seriously?”_

_“Yeah.”_

_“Its 2:48 in the morning and that’s what you're asking me?”_

_“A, you have got to stop sleeping in that watch. B, yeah.”_

_I smiled. This was what I loved about her._

_“To marry you.” I replied._

_“OK. Let’s get married on December 20th. That way on your birthday you will already have your gift.”_

_“Seriously?”_

_“Tobias Ziegler, are you listening to me?”_

_“Of course I am. You want to get married on December 20th.”_

_“Mmm hmm. How does that sound?”_

_I pull her into my arms and I fondle her. Yes, Nora has this body that I cannot help but fondle._

_“It sounds terrific.”_

_“Toby, you really have a one-track mind.”_

_“Right now I am in no position to dispute that._ ”

I love this woman. I love that she puts up with my shit…I love that she understands it. I love that my brother and sisters love her though I doubt that I would ever say that aloud. I love that liquor does not make her sick and that she is studying the Torah. I didn’t know there were women like Nora left in the world. She can yell just as loud as I can to get her point across and in the next breath whisper something sexy in my ear. How many women do you know educated in law, politics, and dirty talk?

I heard the music from the elevator when I got off at her floor tonight. It was some rump-shaking song and I figured it was the 20-something newlyweds across the hall. I know that Nora loves her rump-shaking music, but it was nearly 10 o’clock. When I walked in, I saw her in the kitchen. She was dancing in my sweater. Once I walked into the kitchen, I saw that was all she was dancing in. Well, let’s count the black stilettos as clothing.

“Hey sugar pie.”

“Hi.” She smiles. “I was starting to think I was flying solo tonight. Got fresh batteries and everything.”

“Bite your tongue.”

This is the part where I admit the thought of watching her fuck herself makes me want to faint. Probably #3 on the list of the hottest things ever!

“Wanna drink?”

“I’d rather watch you dance. It’s nearly as intoxicating.”

“Bullshit speechwriter. Go sit, I’ll fix you up.”

I nod. In the living room, I turn down the music a bit, loosen my tie, and kick off my shoes. Nora comes with my bourbon, and her champagne, which she places on the coffee table. She keeps dancing to the music, which has changed. I know this song…its called Bootylicious. Yes, that really is the name of the song. She stands in front of me, the coffee table between us, and keeps dancing.

Nora is a good dancer. She’s been into hip-hop since college and she has all the dance moves down. The hip-swaying, that little ass wiggle, she can dance so close to the ground I always think she is going to break something. When I watch her dance like this though trips to GW emergency room are truly the last thing on my mind. She doesn’t strip, which she has in the past, she just dances. And I'm in a trance…the sway of her hips like a pendulum that my eyes follow. The bounce of her breasts underneath my favorite fuzzy sweater that I love much more on her than myself. Those legs, not as long as some, but definitely sexy and feminine.

I'm leaning forward now, not of my own accord. She is touching herself and the song changes to rap. Now she’s gyrating; my cock is hard as a rock. Damn, I want her out of that sweater and riding the wild stallion. There is a Trojan in my wallet with her name etched on it. Yeah, she needs to be screaming my name…I need to be fucking her unconscious.

“C’mere speechwriter.”

Somehow, my legs stand me up and walk me over to her. She runs her hands down my chest and begins to bump and grind against me like a stand-up lap dance. I can only take it a few minutes before I grab her and kiss her mouth. Nora sighs, sliding her arms around my neck.

“Mmmm. Am I dreaming, or stupid, I think I hit by Cupid.” She whispers.

“But no one needs to know right now.” I reply.

The song has changed to Shania Twain. I've heard this one a billion times…its one of Nora’s favorites. I pull her mouth to mine; I could kiss her forever. I wish we could breathe for each other so I could do just that. She moves away first and strokes my beard.

“You want to take this to the bedroom Ms. Masterson?” I ask.

“Since when are you afraid to take me where you stand?” she answers me with a question of her own.

I raise an eyebrow, she smiles, and the clothes start flying. We make it to the couch and she is riding the wild stallion. I don’t like to brag, well OK I do, but I can satisfy a woman. Nora likes it when I am demanding, but not rough. It is a fine line and I've spent a lot of time walking but never crossing it. I need her to talk me through it, and don’t even ask me to explain that. Andi and I had sweet, quiet sex. Boring, missionary sex in which nothing new was tried or explored.

It is the complete opposite with Nora. Some of the more outrageous sexual things I've thought about I have yet to share with her…I'm waiting. But I know she likes leading the expedition. She likes to talk dirty, shout my name, and yank my hair. She rubs my baldhead and that really turns me on. Oh God, when she says words like cock and fuck, normal words in the English language really, I'm ready to explode. Of course, a few days ago, she said sedulous and I took her where she stood. It is imperative that she not do these things in supermarket checkout lines or meetings with the President of the United States.

“Oh God Toby! God, you're so good!”

See, how can a man not love that? Particularly a man with my ego. Everyone who knows me knows I am an egomaniac. I think we all are, but some are better at it than others. I move us on the couch so that I am on top, thrusting into her body as she pinches her eyes shut and bites her lip. We’re almost there and I groan with my release. She whispers my name as my body comes to rest on top of hers.

“Good sugar?” I ask.

“All good. Thank you.”

She kisses me and I get up. Nora reaches for her champagne. It was an early night for us. We cuddle naked on the couch with reruns of Law and Order. Nora munches on sliced fruit and drinks more champagne…I carry her to bed a little after one. It’s not that she can't handle her liquor, on the contrary, but it’s been a long few weeks. Dealing with the reelection, Ritchie and the debate, Debate Camp, and the reemergence of my ex-wife with an outrageous request.

Nora needs her sleep. Once in bed she just curls under the covers and sleeps undeterred. I lie beside her, not sure of sleep is going to cooperate with me tonight. All the ingredients are there…a good glass of bourbon, lovemaking, and rain. Still, I'm not sure.

I must fall asleep eventually, because I wake up again. Nora is still asleep beside me and it is still raining. In a few months, we will find out if we are going back to the White House. Weeks after that I will marry again. I look down at my ring finger and sigh. The tan line is still there…I removed my wedding band.

In the beginning, I kept it out of some misguided attempt to get Andi back. If she could just see I was holding on to the ring, she would come back to me. I got over that sooner than many people think. Then I wore it to keep people at bay. Relationships are work and I already have a stressful job. Anyway, I was tired of putting myself out there. How many times can you dodge the train before it plows into you? My days as Wile E. Coyote are over.

Nora, to her credit, never said too much about the ring. I don't know why but she didn’t. That was until Andi showed up at Debate Camp. I don’t know who invited her or how she hitched a ride on Air Force One. Let me just tell you, 48 hours with my fiancé, my ex, Josh, and the President doing mock debates was enough to make a man sympathize with Michael Douglas in Falling Down.

Things went from bad to worse fairly quick. Andi kept trying to get me alone, for what reason I don’t know. Nora, who dragged CJ, Donna, and somehow Charlie into it, tried to prevent this. But Andi has this way of getting what she wants.

“ _Toby?”_

_“Oh hey.”_

_I wipe my hands on my pants and lean into the wall by my room door. I don’t know if I look as uncomfortable as I feel, but Andi’s body language says that I might._

_“What’s up Andi?”_

_“I want to have a baby Toby.”_

_“What! Shh!”_

_I quickly open my room door and pull her in. Its dark but I leave the door ajar so that I can see. No one attempted to turn on lights._

_“What are you talking about?”_

_“I want to have a baby…this may be my last chance.”_

_“We’re not married anymore.” I reply. “What does any of this have to do with me?”_

_“Toby, you know that I care about you. I always have. Maybe our baby can bring us closer.”_

_“Andi, I don’t think…”_

_“Your sperm is just sitting in a refrigerator and I can use it. If you don’t want to be a part of the baby’s life, I understand. This is my last chance; I know you understand that.”_

_I smirked, though I didn’t mean to. She knew that I wanted to be a father; I thought I wanted to be a father. No way in hell would she just have my child and I would walk away. She knew that too._

_“Andi, I'm engaged.”_

_“What? Since when?”_

_“July. And I don’t think Nora would appreciate if I got my ex-wife pregnant. No matter how it actually happens.”_

_“You are marrying Nora Masterson…I didn’t even know you two were serious.”_

_“It’s been a long time since we told each other about our personal lives. I didn’t think you had to be one of the first phone calls I made.”_

_Andi sighed, putting her hands on her hips. I hated that stance; it was always followed up by a lecture on how I needed to change. We were divorced…I didn’t have to listen to that anymore._

_“So, I guess congratulations…”_

_Nora walked in then and it got a bit crazy. She said she came in for a sweater but the Arctic breeze was evident. She slept in her own room and did not speak to me again until we were back in Washington. See, I even get in trouble when I haven’t done anything_.

“Toby?”

I turn to her as she rubs her eyes. Her eyes are drowsy and questioning and I think she is beautiful.

“Go back to sleep sugar.”

“Are you alright?”

She moves into my arms and I feel the warmth run through me. I rub her back as she rubs my stomach.

“Yeah. I just…”

“What?”

“I'm fine.”

Nora sucks her teeth and it makes me smile.

“I'm thinking. Honestly, I just woke up and now I'm thinking.”

“About what?” she asks. “Am I asking too many questions?”

“If I say yes will you stop and go to sleep?”

“I doubt it.”

“Alright then. I was thinking about how much I love you and can't wait to be your husband. You know it is going to take lawyers and court documents to get rid of me after that.”

“Well, I have 90 days to have the union dissolved according to law.” Nora replies.

“That’s a romantic spirit.”

She squeezes me and laughs a bit.

“You're trapped with me Toby Ziegler. I am head over heels, gaga in love with you and I know you feel the same way.”

“I certainly do.”

I kiss her lips and tell her to go back to sleep. She needs to or I am going to have to take her. This is what she does to me; I don’t think it’s natural.

“You too honey. You can think some more tomorrow.”

I nod, closing my eyes. She’s right, there is always tomorrow to overanalyze every thought and feeling. Who wants to do that with the woman they love in their arms? With a bit of difficulty, I can admit it, I drop it all. Inhaling Nora’s scent, I hold her tighter and fall asleep.

***


End file.
